Diary of a Gen Z Student: It may be hard to see it now, but the Leaving Cert isn't that important

In a few months, your life will look totally different. You’ll be finding the independence you’re craving.

Trinity College student and Irish Examiner columnist Jane Cowan photographed at her home. Photo: Barry Cronin

When I was a sixth-year in secondary school, I had a few recurring dreams.

I’d find myself in some sort of unpleasant setting: I’d be in jail, or hospital, or stuck in an airport in a foreign country. The nightmare really started when I would be handed my Leaving Cert Irish exam. Doing poorly in those exams was my biggest fear. And that’s understandable.